Bhutan Govt. to invest Nu 5.1 billion in chain-link fencing to address human -wildlife conflict in 13th Plan
To address rising cases of human-wildlife conflicts (HWC) and protect crops from wild animals, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MoAL) has allocated a whopping Nu 5.1 billion to support chain-link fencing in the 13th Plan.
The chain-link fencing project will cover 205 gewogs and 20 dzongkhags. Under this initiative, 24,000 acres of paddy fields, 12,000 acres of maize fields, and 9,000 acres of potato fields will be fenced.
An additional Nu 2.8 billion has been earmarked for the protection of other critical crops.
In the last two years, the MoAL has supported 33.5 kilometres of portable solar fencing and 87 kilometres of chain-link fencing in various dzongkhags, protecting more than 427 acres with solar fencing and 3,200 acres with chain-link fencing, benefiting 1,155 households.
The government will invest Nu 667.5 million for chain-link fencing this fiscal year. Currently, the Department of Agriculture is in the process of procuring chain link and other materials.
MoAL Minister Younten Phuntsho said that the overall budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 amounts to Nu 667.5 million, which includes Nu 30 million allocated from the Food Security and Agriculture Productivity Project.
An allocation of Nu 637.5 million from the Government of India has also been approved for various dzongkhags.
Chain-link fencing was initiated last year, and so far, 16 out of the 20 dzongkhags have been covered by this initiative, with the remaining dzongkhags nearing completion. The previous government allocated Nu 500 million for the year 2022-23 and Nu 1 billion for 2023-24 for chain-link fencing.
“HWC is a multifaceted issue, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution,” Lyonpo said. “Among the various interventions, electric fencing was introduced as a key measure to address this problem.”
According to the National Impact Assessment Report on Electric Fencing 2021, the government approved the use of electric fencing in 2013 to mitigate human-wildlife conflict and reduce crop losses to wildlife.
While electric fencing has been effective to a certain extent, the most common problems include non-functional or ineffective electric fences due to incorrect connections of the energiser, grounding system, and charge controller; the use of rusted GI wires; improper use of barbed wires alongside electric fencing GI wires; and damaged energisers.
“In addition, the lack of maintenance—such as timely clearing of vegetation and overgrowth along the electric fence lines to prevent current leakage, lubricating GI wires, replacing damaged posts, and regularly monitoring the electric current flow and grounding system—contributes to these issues,” Lyonpo said.
The major HWC issues in the country involve wild boars, barking deer, sambar, elephants, and bears. Crop depredation and property damage caused by elephants are significant problems in southern Bhutan, while deer are prevalent in central Bhutan, and Asiatic black bears and wild boars are found across the country.
